


Lucky Number Seven

by lepapillonrose



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Happy belated birthday Kise!, Platonic Relationships, friendships, light references to Teikou angst, the fic where Kise gets lots of platonic love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-14 17:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19278310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lepapillonrose/pseuds/lepapillonrose
Summary: Seven times Kise feels blessed on his seventeenth birthday, by seven people (and one phantom) he holds dear.





	Lucky Number Seven

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! This fic is something I've been sitting on for a couple of years have been wanting to publish for Kise's bday, but I never quite got around to it. This year, I finally decided to hammer it out! I hope you enjoy it.

It’s 11:58PM and a school night _and_ he has practice in the morning, but that matters little to Kise Ryouta right now. Splayed across his bed, he watches the seconds tick by on his phone with the excitement of a child about to open a huge present.

Ironically enough, that’s what Kise expects to be doing tomorrow—and not because he’s that arrogant, but because his fans always have him _more_ than covered no matter how much he tells them to abstain. He’s a minute and a half away from his seventeenth birthday, and even though he’s about to be a _whole number_ older than the rest of the Generation of Miracles, he’s still more excited than any of the others probably will be.

Birthdays are always a special affair in the Kise household, especially as the youngest child. His mom and dad take time off from work, his eldest sister visits with his niece and nephew, and his other sister comes home from college. Sometimes they throw a party; one he remembers most fondly is his fourteenth birthday, the first time he had real friends to invite over and the fledgling Miracles all got stomach aches from eating too much cake.

Of course, that was also the year before everything nosedived. His sixteenth birthday in particular was especially lonely, but this year, he’s hopeful. The Miracles are healing, and Kise feels that their bond is growing stronger than it ever was.

The clock strikes midnight and, promptly, Kise’s screen lights up with an incoming call from none other than Akashi. Kise smiles to himself and answers, greeting with a bright, “Hey, Akashicchi! Right on time.”

“As I typically I am,” Akashi says, not even sounding the slightest bit tired on the other end. He must be working another long night, but Kise can hear a hint of a smile in his voice. “Besides, I wanted to be the first to wish you. Happy birthday, Ryouta.”

The call of his first name used to send shivers down Kise’s spine. It brought back bad memories of Haizaki’s taunts or the days Akashi’s other half reigned. It’s used sparingly now that Akashi is on the mend in therapy, but when he does use it, it’s nothing like before. It’s fond and meaningful, as if to undo the damage from the past, and Kise finds it to be heartwarming.

“Thanks, Akashicchi,” Kise replies with a smile, holding his pillow a little tighter. “As nice as this is, though, shouldn’t you be asleep? You have school tomorrow, too.”

“Our practice was rescheduled for the afternoon,” Akashi explains, and Kise hears the rustling of papers in the background. “But I assure you I’ll retire within the hour.”

“You have to promise!” Kise insists, because Akashi is known to overwork himself, but also because he’s a brat that likes using his birthday privileges to whine without reprimand. “Especially today, or I’ll be upset. I’m a year older than you now, you know.”

“Very well. I _promise_ you that I’ll sleep within the hour,” Akashi relents, amused. “But you had best follow that advice yourself. I’m aware that Kaijou always holds morning practice.”

Kise gives a big, dramatic sigh, flopping back on his bed. “You got me there. Don’t worry though! I’m sleeping soon, too. I just wanted to wait till midnight.”

“It seems parts of you will never age,” Akashi chuckles, even as Kise pouts indignantly. “I won’t keep you for much longer then. I hope your special day is rewarding, Ryouta. Enjoy yourself.”

“I will, Akashicchi! Thanks for the call.”

 

* * *

 

 

When Kise wakes the following morning, his phone is full of notifications. Some are from social media and some are fans that seem to have discovered his actual phone number. He ignores those, not wanting to leak his number further, but he smiles when he sees two familiar names on his screen. The messages could not be more different in style: a simple “happy birthday, Kise-kun” from Kuroko and a kaomoji-decorated “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KI-CHAN!” from Momoi. A few minutes later he gets one from Kagami in English; he must have been reminded by Kuroko, Kise muses. He replies to all three with equal doses of sparkles.

A text from Kasamatsu comes as he’s brushing his teeth, a short “happy birthday” that brings Kise joy because he didn’t even know that his former senpai knew the date. As he’s tying his basketball shoes, his mother comes in to kiss his cheek and wish him a happy birthday as well, but not without a twinkle in her eye.

“You have a guest,” she says mysteriously, and Kise assumes she means his baby nephew or niece. But when he goes downstairs, he’s surprised to find none other than Midorima stiffly standing in his living room and holding a colorful mylar balloon. He can see Midorima’s neat penmanship alongside Takao’s, if the ‘Ryou-chan’ is anything to go by.

“Good morning and happy birthday, Kise.” Midorima clears his throat and hands Kise the balloon by way of explanation. “I took the liberty of delivering your lucky item for this momentous day: something filled with air.”

Kise half expects Midorima to quip about him being an airhead, though even if he’s thinking it, it remains unspoken in front of his mother. Still, the fact Midorima has come all this way, even under the very convenient ruse of Oha Asa, is too precious. Kise grins, holding the balloon a little closer.

“Thanks, Midorimacchi! You’re not late though, are you?”

“Takao will take care of it,” Midorima replies, quite assuredly. Kise raises his eyebrows, surprised to hear that from such a strict student. Midorima then bows towards his mother. “Please pardon my intrusion, Kise-san. Thank you for being accommodating.”

“Not at all! It was nice to see you, Midorima-kun,” his mother replies warmly. “It’s really been too long! Ryou-chan missed you so much he cried a couple of times.”

" _Mamacchi!_ ”

“Imagine my surprise, seeing you after two years with a full twenty-one more centimeters,” his mother continues wistfully. “Ryou-chan showed me pictures; you boys have grown so much since I last saw you. You need to visit more often!”

Kise and Midorima exchange a look, silently deeming the story far too complicated. Midorima adjusts his glasses and picks up his practice bag. “...It is certainly challenging, with all of us in different schools, but I will make an effort.”

“Such a sweet boy,” Kise’s mother cooes, patting Midorima’s reddening cheek. “You were always my favorite.”

“Don’t let Aominecchi hear that,” Kise snickers under his breath.

“Th-thank you again,” Midorima stammers, with a final bow of his head. “Have a good rest of your day.”

“Bye, Midorimacchi! Say hi to Takaocchi for me.”

Midorima takes his leave, and Kise’s mother turns to him. “I’m going to go pick up your sister. I made your favorite for breakfast, so eat up before you head out, okay?” She kisses his cheek and grabs her car keys. “And I found a package for you when I let Midorima-kun in. It’s on the counter.”

“Thanks, Mamacchi,” Kise says with a smile, seeing her out the door before going to the kitchen. There’s a heaping plate of French toast and fruit on the table—he’ll be feeling the carb crash in first period later, but right now he can’t bring himself to care.

Kise takes the package with him, a plain but surprisingly hefty brown box. The return address is one he recognizes, which is a good sign. He chews a forkful of toast as he opens the box with a knife. A folded piece of paper tumbles out, along with a massive bag of bonbons that definitely exceeds his daily sugar intake.

Kise laughs, already having guessed who the sweet present is from. Regardless, he unfolds the letter and reads.

_Kise-chin—_

_I was out with Muro-chin and I found a bunch of those French candies you like. I tried some of them and they’re pretty good, so I got some for myself too. Muro-chin said they’d be a good birthday present, so here they are. Happy birthday from me and Muro-chin. Make sure you eat them, okay? I don’t care what manager-chin says, you’re not allowed to be healthy on your birthday. Eat lots. See you when I see you._

_Mura_

Kise smiles at the very typical Murasakibara message. The purple giant doesn’t appear to care at first glance, but he actually has a big heart. Truthfully, Kise doesn’t even remember talking about bonbons, but Murasakibara had clearly listened and stored away the information for later.

Kise tears open a bag of green apple and pops a couple of candies in his mouth, deciding to follow Murasakibara’s sage advice for now. He’s happy to find the bonbons as good as he remembers them to be.

 

* * *

 

 

Aomine texts Kise that afternoon in the middle of class, a quick “happy birthday” shortly followed up by “usual spot, one-on-one.” It’s been a while since he’s read those words, but he still knows the place Aomine is referring to—the old park that’s halfway between their houses with a rusty playground and a lone basketball court.

Kise feels a familiar excitement at Aomine’s words, reminded of their better days in Teikou, and is thankful that afternoon practice has been cancelled. He quickly replies his assent and stows his phone away before he gets caught.

Later, Aomine whistles when Kise arrives at the park with a literal mountain of fan gifts. “And here I thought people would’ve forgotten your face by now.”

“Very funny,” Kise says sarcastically, childishly sticking his tongue out at Aomine. “Most of these gifts came before you even wished me a happy birthday, you know. My fans actually _care_.”

“Hey, I said it eventually, didn’t I?” Aomine protests, spinning the ball on his index finger. “A one-on-one is a better present than any of this shit anyway.” He smirks, and Kise swears he can see the shadow of the old Aomine in it. Honestly, _that_ is the best present, but he’s not about to tell Aomine that. “But I’m still gonna kick your ass, birthday boy or not.”

Kise grins just as confidently, throwing down his bag. “Don’t get too cocky, Aominecchi! I’m feeling extra pumped today.”

It’s a typical match between the two, trading baskets without either of them having a clear edge. Kise is proud that he’s able to catch Aomine off guard a couple of times with other moves from his growing arsenal. He manages to get a two-point lead over Aomine after a dunk, about to taunt the other boy when he spots what seems to be a familiar redhead walking by the park.

“Hey, Kagamicchi!”

Kise’s shout startles Kagami, but he jogs over to them within a few seconds. “Kise, there you are! I’ve been calling you for the last hour,” he complains with a frown, glancing at Aomine. “I was going to ask if you wanted to have a one-on-one, but…”

“This was my idea,” Aomine chimes in almost defensively, folding his arms. “We’re already playing, so you can piss off.”

“It’s not my fault that I had the same idea!” Kagami growls, a vein popping in his forehead. Kise can’t help but laugh at the fact that both of these basketball idiots had the same idea. “It’s Kise’s decision anyway! I’ll go if he tells me to.”

Kise controls his laughter for a moment to assure him, “You don’t have to go, Kagamicchi. Aominecchi, be nice.”

Aomine snorts derisively. “What, are you gonna play both of us at the same time?”

“Actually,” pipes up a new voice out of nowhere, startling everyone, and Kise recognizes it immediately. “In a way, that was the plan.”

“Kurokocchi!” Kise cries, embracing the smaller boy the moment he finds him. “I’m so happy to see you!”

For once, Kuroko doesn’t shake him off. “I had to accompany Kagami-kun or he would get lost,” he deadpans, as Kagami squawks in indignation. “In addition, I am here so we can play two-on-two. Kise-kun, let us do our best.”

Aomine and Kagami immediately begin to bicker at the suggestion of being teammates, but Kise pays it little mind, almost brought to tears at his elation for _his_ teammate. He squeezes Kuroko tighter, exclaiming, “You’re the best, Kurokocchi!”

Kuroko shifts minimally in his arms. “You are welcome, Kise-kun, but please let go of me.”

Teaming up with Kuroko again is something Kise rarely gets to do, so he cherishes his time. He’s happy to see that he and Kuroko still work well together—though Aomine and Kagami arguing over who gets to score certainly does help.

Around half an hour later, everyone stops to take a water break and as he gets closer to his bag, Kise hears muffled ringing. He takes out his phone, surprised to see Kasamatsu’s name because his former senpai rarely called him in the daytime because of college classes.

“Kasamatsu-senpai!”

“Hey, Kise,” comes Kasamatsu’s voice. “Are you busy right now?”

“Well, I was playing with Aominecchi, Kagamicchi, and Kurokocchi, but…” Kise perks up. “Are you in Kanagawa, senpai?”

“Yeah, my last class got cancelled and the timing worked out so I thought I’d come visit,” Kasamatsu replies gruffly. “We can grab a coffee or something. But if you’re busy, that’s fine. I know this was kind of sudden.”

Kise is touched by the sentiment, feeling guilty about leaving Aomine, Kagami, and Kuroko so suddenly but also not wanting Kasamatsu’s well-intentioned trip to be in vain. “No, I’ll go! Just give me a few minutes. I’ll meet you there!”

Kasamatsu chuckles at Kise’s enthusiasm. “Alright. See you in a bit.”

 

* * *

 

 

Thankfully, Kuroko, Aomine, and Kagami are understanding (or rather, Kuroko has enough understanding for the both of them), and Kise thanks them profusely before hurrying to the coffee shop he and Kasamatsu often frequented at. Kise tackle-hugs Kasamatsu when he sees him, and Kasamatsu tells him he’s dramatic but allows it. They order their drinks and catch up, Kasamatsu regaling tales of college while Kise updates him on the team. It’s a normal conversation for the two of them.

It’s when the former senpai and kouhai are walking towards his house that Kise begins to suspect something.

“Got any more plans for today?”

“Not really, I’m just going to go home,” Kise replies, stretching towards the sky. “I’m sure my family’s expecting me since I’ve been gone all day. Besides, I got to see everyone today already! Well, everyone except Momocchi, Murasakibaracchi, and Akashicchi. But they contributed in their own ways.”

“That’s good.” Kasamatsu ruffles Kise’s hair. “I’m glad you brats are patching things up. It’s about time.”

Kise laughs sheepishly. “It’s definitely a process, but we’re working on it. Where are you going though, senpai?”

Kasamatsu tucks his hands into his pockets, and Kise is puzzled to see a hint of a mysterious smile on his lips. “I’ll go home in a bit, but I’ll walk you home. We’re heading the same way anyway.”

Kise tries to stifle a chuckle but isn’t very successful. “You know my sisters are home today, right? And that they’ve been dying to meet you?”

Kasamatsu stiffens, and there’s a slight stammer in his voice. “I-it’s fine. I’ll deal with it.”

Once they reach Kise’s house and Kise unlocks the door, he’s even further confused. His mom and dad’s cars are in the driveway, but he doesn’t hear either of them or either of his sisters call for him like they always do.

“I’m home!” Kise announces, closing the door behind him and Kasamatsu. “I brought senpai with me.”

There’s still no answer as Kise and Kasamatsu take off their shoes, though Kise thinks he hears a strange shuffling from the main room followed by a muffled curse and then a hasty “sorry.”

Kasamatsu shakes his head in exasperation. “Close your eyes, Kise.”

It’s all starting to click, though Kise can scarcely believe it. He does as Kasamatsu says, however, and allows himself to be led through his house. The shuffling continuously grows louder, and Kise hears yet another curse (which sounds familiar) and then a scold (which also sounds familiar). Kasamatsu sounds amused when he finally says, “You can open them.”

The moment Kise does, he’s hit with a loud, (mostly) unified “SURPRISE!” Once the confetti cloud clears, Kise is shocked to find not only his family, but his Kaijou teammates _and_ the Generation of Miracles standing before him and beaming.

Momoi hugs him first, though not before securing a gold party hat on his head. “Happy birthday, Ki-chan!” she chirps with a smile. “How was that for a surprise?”

“I… how did you get everyone here?” Kise asks in disbelief. The surprise party itself had been easy to figure out, but seeing everyone here in front of him—from Akashi and Murasakibara from the north, to Moriyama and Kobori from their respective colleges—is something he would have never expected.

“It has been a while since we organized something like this, hasn’t it?” Kuroko says with a gentle smile. “We thought that your birthday would be a good place to start… or rather, _re_ start.”

“Why do you think Bakagami and Tetsu came all this way, dumbass?” Aomine teases, nudging Kise’s elbow. “We all planned it.”

Midorima huffs and gives Kagami a sidelong glance. “Though  _this_ idiot nearly blew our cover by calling you so many times.”

Kagami turns an angry but embarrassed red. “Shut up, I forgot, okay?”

Akashi smiles knowingly, patting Kise on the shoulder. “As the oldest and the first birthday in our group, we felt that this was a perfect chance to start making things right again. Happy birthday.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Kise pulls his friends into a tight embrace. It’s been a rough road, healing after what they’ve all gone through, but now more than ever, he is sure they’ll be able to make it even stronger than before.

“Kise-kaa-san’s food is getting cold,” Murasakibara complains after a few moments. “Can we eat now?”

“Don’t be rude, Murasakibara,” Midorima scolds.

“Don’t worry about it, Midorima-kun!” Kise’s mother assures him. “I missed Mura-kun’s voracious appetite, truthfully. There’s plenty to go around!”

Everyone starts to line up for food, bickering and teasing the whole way. Kise’s eldest sister, cradling his baby niece in her arms, comes up to him after she notices he hasn’t moved. She smiles fondly and pats his head. “You have some great friends, Ryou-chan. Hold onto them.”

Tears rolling down his cheeks as he nods, Kise thinks to himself that he’s a very lucky person.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm aware that the 'seven' theme didn't exactly work out when written, but that was the premise and I decided to keep it in the summary haha. I'll see you in the next fic! Please feel free to leave me a kudos or comment~


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